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Monthly Archives: November 2015

I’ve cc:ed you on my open letter to Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, Texas. For point of reference, I’m responding to his sermon here:

Dear Dr. Jeffress,

My name is Pascal and I am a follower of Christ. I have done so since I was a child, trained by imperfect but godly parents who loved me and taught me to to love scripture. I had not heard your name or seen your face before you chose to address the world in the guise of addressing your congregation. My first impression was that you must be a Republican politician. Red tie. Dark suit. Dour expression with forced smiles. When I searched your name, most posts were from Fox News. First impressions can be illuminating. Malcolm Gladwell would call it a blink. That was type 1 thinking – – a heuristic reflex that recoiled…

All of us have seen a church marquee. We have seen the amusing maxims. Years ago I saw one which read, “Prevent truth decay; burn a Living Bible.” Some are not amusing. They are pithy and true: “A Family Altar Can Alter A Family.”

One that I have seen increasingly is “Come as You Are,” or some variation of it. This is an example of a statement that is true, but one which leaves so much unsaid that it could easily create a false impression. It’s necessary, but not sufficient. It needs more. The statement is a welcoming statement. “You don’t need to change in order to come to this church. Please, come just as you are.” There is even a famous old gospel song titled, “Just As I Am.” This is precisely what Billy Graham entitled his autobiography. The message isn’t only that we should come to church…